The photo of two little girls holding hands walking down the railroad tracks was part of a story on outdoor family fun.

Did Mom and Dad realize that walking along railroad tracks is not only illegal, but highly dangerous?

Did they remember that last year in the Portland area there were several serious rail trespass incidents – one that resulted in a fatality and another necessitating the amputation of a man’s leg?

They are among the 908 individuals injured or killed last year in the United States walking or otherwise trespassing on private railroad property.

Maine Operation Lifesaver has volunteers who, nearly every day, are educating the public about the tragic consequences when a multimillion-pound train bears down on an individual or recreational vehicle that shouldn’t have been there in the first place.

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